Traditionally, authentication to a web service is accessed through a web portal. Commonly, the portal is accessed through the user directing a web browser to a web portal via a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), which is a representation of the web portal address, usually in a more human readable form.
Authentication for the web portal usually takes the approach of requiring the user to input a unique combination of a username and a password that identifies that specific user. The web portal usually prompts the user for submission of these credentials in a web-based form. The web-based forms present themselves under standards-based web browser renderable code. The credentials are usually input into the web browser, utilizing special policy requirements that determine the number and type of characters required to access that web service. Longer alphanumeric character strings usually provide stronger defense against brute force computational attacks.
However, the typical login process leaves open the possibility that a user may forget the password. Thus, it is preferable to allow the user to store the password in a way that it may be retrievable.